Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 2.djvu/181

 ii s. vm. AUG. ao, 1913.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

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the Duchess of Kent. At his request Mr. Grove showed him all over the market, refreshing him at the bar with best coffee, <fcc., when he departed, expressing himself as vastly pleased with all he had seen. The following day Mr. Grove was sent for by the Duchess, who thanked him for his care and attention to her son, bidding him sit down and tell her all about his work. While they were in conversation the door opened and little Princess Victoria "a rickety little child " came in with her governess. On his leaving, the Duchess took a copy of ' The Keepsake ' off the table and gave it to Mr. Grove as a remembrance of the interview.

Mr. Grove's fish shop was situated oppo- site to the Admiralty, where the Duke of Clarence was in residenoe until he became king. The Duke's habit was to select his fish for the table by means of his telescope from the window of his room, sending for Mr. Grove to settle any doubts. On one occasion the Duke was inquiring of him as to some fine cod he saw on the slab, saying, " From North Shields, I suppose ; send me in a dozen." Seeing the chef on his way out, Mr. Grove told him of this order. " Nonsense ! " said he ; " why, there 's but the Du.ke and Duchess at dinner send two fish."

Grove told me that he was the first to keep fish in ice, and for the purpose had a cellar below his shop fitted up. This fact coming to the ears of Prince Albert, who was ever ready for a lesson in practical know- ledge, caused him to inspect the new system. He descended to the cellar, rough as it was, and thus materially assisted the novelty to become of general use.

HAROLD MALET, Col.

" NUT " : MODERN SLANG (US. vii. 228 ; viii. 78). The adjective of " nut " occurs in a significant passage of Byron's ' Don Juan.' Don Juan killed with a pistol a footpad who attacked him, and whose shining qualities are described in Canto XI. 19. Who, asks the poet, could "queer a flat " so well ?

Who on a lark, with black-eyed Sal (his blowing), So prime, so swell, so nutty, and so knowing? This is thieves' slang, of course, as Byron points out in a foot-note, but the last three adjectives seem eminently apt as a descrip- tion of the " nut " to-day.

Looking at the ' N.E.D./ I find " nutty " in this passage defined as " smart, spruce," but it may also be referred to the meaning given in an earlier section : " Amorous ;

fond ; enthusiastic." Here are two main characteristics of the up-to-date " nut " combined. He is nearly always in attend- ance on attractive creatures of the other sex, or such as he deems attractive ; and, if he is not in love, he is, like Love, " too young to know w r hat conscience is." His smartness (not necessarily brightness) in dress is obvious. He had the loud sock that spoke (I fear) the vacant mind, when colours were in vogue ; and he represents the giddy turns wiiich, according to Borachio, fashion imposes on all the hot bloods between fourteen and five -and- thirty. He is neat, natty (words ultimately related to Latin nitidus), and the similarity of sound may have influenced his designation. I doubt, however, the attribution of " keenness " to him, except in two somewhat restricted methods of passing time, motoring and dancing. He is, so far as I know him, languid in manner, 7 plainly a poseur of the nil admirari order.

& It is, however, difficult to keep pace with his evolution, as he belongs to a leisured world which is not concerned with making a livelihood, and has little time to spare for mere toilers like myself. Also he shuns serious conversation of any kind, and is seldom to be found at home. The thea- trical world is so largely his milieu that I think MR. PENGELLY is likely to be right in tracing the word " nut " in modern usage to a stage catchword. HIPPOCLIDES.

JOHNSON BIBLIOGRAPHY (11 S. viii. 87, 155). In some editions of ' The Rambler ' for example, those published for the trade in 1789 and 1794 the translation of the French couplet quoted in the course of No. 172, and the translation, or paraphrase, of the motto to 75, are ascribed to " Miss A. W.," which supports the suggestion that Anna W T illiams is the author.

The rendering of the epigram of Martial prefixed to 166, and that of the passage from Valerius Flaccus in 150, are ascribed to " Edw. Cave." MR. W. P. COURTNEY'S query implies that at one time " A. W." and " E. C." were the signatures. When did the fuller forms first appear ? Is there any evidence that the English translations of the Latin and French were extracted from longer pieces, and not written ad hoc 'f

In Boswell's ' Johnson ' mention is made of an index to ' The Rambler ' in which " Milton, Mr. John," occurs. Croker, I know, and Birkbeck Hill, I feel almost sure, have no note. Is not this the index that is found in most editions ? Certainly one